August 2008

08/25/2008

Recently Jewlz and I had birthdays; I turned 46 (yep, downward slide to 50) in June and Jewlz turned 43 just last week.

I have a policy of always making a cake for everyone's birthday where I work, but when my turn comes around everyone knows better than to make (or buy) me a cake. ANYTHING BUT CAKE! Jewlz of course, feels the same way.

My "cake" for Jewlz wasn't nearly as clever, but it was thoughtful! Jewlz LOVES tacos. She could eat tacos for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack in between. She keeps hot sauce in the fridge and sprinkles it on everything.

Lucky for me, we have a mexican restaurant practically just across the street from the bakery. On her birthday last Wednesday, I ordered a chicken taco salad to go (or "on wheels" as they say in the biz), and topped it with my custom sour cream-inscribed fried corn tortilla which I had made up the night before.

08/03/2008

Yipes....it's been a month since I posted to the ol' blog, but it's summer, and summer is full o' tourists, weddings, and people who like to ignore all the nutritionists warnings about the obesity epidemic, heart disease and refined sugar in American diets. Not to mention high fructose corn syrup, which is in practically everything. But I don't care about nutrition, because I'm a pastry chef......public enemy number one!

And to prove I'm number one, my desserts were recently voted as "Best in Kitsap County 2008" by a reader poll in the North Kitsap Herald last week. No, the North Kitsap Herald is not the New York Times, and North Kitsap, which includes such famous locales as Poulsbo, Silverdale and Bainbridge Island is not a booming metropolis. But I can say I'm appreciated in this teeny tiny corner of the United States, which is indeed, a very nice thing.

Of course, the North Kitsap Herald acknowledged The Village Baker as having the best desserts, and no reporter even bothered to ask if there was an actual person involved in the dessert making, and if this actual person had a name. But I am the person! I created the dessert menu, and made everything myself, from scratch and by hand. Of course, I can't do it without Jewlz. As referenced in previous posts Jewlz is a pastry chef's dream come true. She's MINE!!!!

If there's no Jewlz there's no kick ass desserts, because without her, I'm just half. Half of an awesome pastry team.

My employers, knowing that I deserved a little acknowledgement for this dealo in the newspaper, were kind enough to create a poster/ad that will hang in our Cafe......

Actually, I'm not much of a personal "horn tooter". I'm pretty happy just hiding in the kitchen making stuff. And when I hear that people love my stuff, that's kinda all I need. But the bad part is, when you're hiding in the kitchen you don't hear much from people......sort of a "catch 22". A couple other things worth noting are the fact that The Village Baker has only been in business in downtown Poulsbo for a little over one year. There are two other very well known and long established bakeries on the same street, and we beat both of them! Also, for most of my career, I've been known for the way my wedding and sculpted cakes looked......this time though, I've been recognized for taste.....something I've been trying for for a long time! As I've always said, it just doesn't count if something looks good, but tastes like crap. I strive for goodness through and through, WITHOUT using high fructose corn syrup. Well, not usually.

Besides Jewlz, I must also not only thank the Academy, but the other players who made this all possible. Butter, sugar, flour, eggs, cream (REAL cream), and chocolate. Without these lovely high quality ingredients, I am but just another ding dong in a sea of high fructose corn syrup.

I have a cartoon hanging in my office. It is of two houseflies; one is a waiter, and one is an angry diner. The waiter fly is saying to the diner fly, "But Monsieur! Our chef would never substitute Shinola for the real thing!"

That's my philosophy too.....I only use the REAL sh*t! Thank you real sh*t, for making it all possible. And did I mention Jewlz? She is da sh*t!!!